Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Considering Background Yardage...

I admit....this is the part that is hard for me. Figuring yardage when cut with specific rulers, etc. When figuring the background fabric, I didn't take into consideration the amount of background fabric that would result in "bonus triangles" or otherwise cut off and lost. I was just looking at the surface of the quilt and guesstimating. I did say in the yardage requirements that all yardages are "approximates". But that didn't cover my hiney enough.

At this point you are going to need to add to your your background fabrics for a total of 4 -1/4 yards. This much yardage just "sounded" like too much for me, but so much is lost in the bonus triangles from step 3. And it was pointed out to me in an email this morning that the squares from step 3 took 2 5/8 yards! I had used my background squares from my pre-cut 2.5" light squares bin for this step. I know not everyone has that bin to work out of!

Those of you working scrappy shouldn't have a problem. those of you with a particular background fabric, you are going to need more. This is a BIG quilt. With the borders it finishes at 96" square.

I am doing the borders as an optional step, and will write separate yardage requirements for the pieced border hopefully this evening. If you want to plan to use the same background fabric in the pieced border as well, add another 3/4 yard for a total of 5 yards background there for good measure. Better too much than not enough?

There is one more block step in step 4 that requires some background fabric. And the borders require some more background fabric....all else is the main fabric colors and amounts given should be sufficient for them.

I hope this doesn't trip too many people up. Maybe this is an opportunity to pull in a variety of fabrics into your quilt making, one of the main reasons I go scrappy!

13 comments:

Thanks for the update on the background fabric! I was wondering about that. So far I have only used tone on tone white/ivories for the background, but I'm afraid I won't have enough in my stash to go on. Will it look OK if I start using light backgrounds that also have some small color variation as you have used? Will it look strange since I haven't used them so far? Since I don't know what the final pattern looks like, I'm afraid to starting mixing in some new backgrounds. Thanks so much for your opinion. And thanks for the great mystery! I'm loving it!!

I am not at all sorry that we'll need more background fabrick than you originally thought. Over the weekend I succumbed to buying some more neutrals because I had fewer in my stash than I'd thought. And I've been feeling a little guilty ever since. Now I don't have to because Bonnie says we need more neutrals! Yay!

Bonnie, I just got my copy of Quiltmaker in the mail. I immediately found your page!!! Great job. I must have missed you telling us you are there every issue. Way to go! I am going to make that block to complete my row of 6 for our row by row quilt. 6 across, 6 down, done by 6 friends

This is all so funny to me ;-) I call situations like this a "divine mess". Did you ever imagine so many people would hang on your very words?

It's all good. I'm having a blast. Anyone who knows what your site is all about should not be surprised or displeased. We are scrappers. Here is your big anonymous hug of the day. Keep on girl! and most of all, thank you for sharing what you have to give ;-)

Thanks so much for another wonderful opportunity to work on one of your mystery quilts. My Double Delight has almost been stolen off our bed countless times from "admirers"!! I love it so much and although I probably played it safe that time, this time Im going really, really scrappy (its so nice to feel outta control!!!). I know how much work goes into having an inspiration, producing it into a pattern and trying to make it work for everyone!!! Thanks so much for your generosity, it is truely valued!!Hugs xxx

Cool beans, I have a viable reason to have to get more fabric, LOL! Not that I need one, but when hubby looks at my stash when I am saying I need fabric, well, you get the picture:-) I'm doing scrappy anyway, so I just went and bought some FQ's to equal 2 more yards--and if I need more, I guess I'll just have to get myself up and to the LQS AGAIN. Darn!